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Topic Review (Newest First)

11-24-2012 07:52 PM

Bear GSD

The one doggie daycare that I personally recommend is located in the Gunbarrel Veterinary Hospital. The doggie daycare is a covered outdoor situation.
The dogs are outside under cover and there are also outside covered kennels if the dogs need to take a break. My dog loves it there and it also gives me a piece of mind that they are a verterinary facility.

I've heard the anxiety wrap is better than the Thundershirt. I didn't care for the Thundershirt, never noticed much difference, but curious if the anxiety wrap is better.

FTR...I would not order from KV Vet as there were some shady things going on w/their vaccines. PM me for details - I think Drs. Foster and Smith are very good though

Your recommendations for desensitizing are excellent!

11-24-2012 06:59 PM

Mary Beth

You could try getting her an "anxiety wrap" or a "thundershirt" to wear. They are a type of vest that is supposed to help calm the dog. One source is KVpet.com.

11-24-2012 06:48 PM

Mary Beth

My Husky was like that but only for thunderstorms. She was desperate to go outside. A lady I worked with, told me to let her go outside because she was sensitive to the drop in pressure. I did do that and after a while, it didn't bother her. My guess is some of those fireworks were the kind that whizz then bang, and they must have landed close to the house or even on the roof- so she assoicates wind with them. She was in the house when it happened -hence wanting to be outside. Can you put a kennel outside your door so she can go in that - when she pushes the door open - that should appease your apt. manager. You could also explain to your manager that you will be moving out. Yes - doggy day care to get her out of the home alone with the fear (and cats are no comfort - their attitude is "grow up") - maybe with everything going on with the other dogs who won't be afraid - it will distract her. Hopefully you can find a small house with a yard and let her be outside. If you yawn when she is frightened, that is supposed to be calming. Rescue Remedy - there is one just for pets - should help also. If she drinks water during her anxiety periods - you could put 4 drops in her water bowl. It won't hurt the cat.

11-24-2012 06:23 PM

Freestep

Is it possible she is losing her hearing?

Dogs with hearing loss often become hypersensitive to certain pitches, and it can trigger an almost siezure-like response. I've seen this in my grooming shop, with the force dryer. At a certain stage of deafness, the force dryer can make dogs crazy, even if it was well tolerated before... they will suddenly start barking, the eyes glaze over and they try desperately to flee. It takes some time after the dryer is shut off for them to calm down.

Anyway... just a thought. She seems young to have hearing loss, but who knows...

11-24-2012 06:01 PM

msvette2u

ASHWAGANDHA SIDE EFFECTS & SAFETY
Ashwagandha is POSSIBLY SAFE when taken by mouth short-term. The long-term safety of ashwagandha is not known. Large doses of ashwagandha might cause stomach upset, diarrhea, and vomiting.

It’s not known whether it’s safe to apply ashwagandha directly to the skin.
Special Precautions & Warnings:
Pregnancy and breast-feeding: Do not use ashwagandha if you are pregnant. It is rated LIKELY UNSAFE during pregnancy. There is some evidence that ashwagandha might cause miscarriages. Not enough is known about the use of ashwagandha during breast-feeding. Stay on the safe side and avoid use.

Stomach ulcers: Ashwagandha can irritate the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Don’t use ashwagandha if you have a stomach ulcer.

“Auto-immune diseases” such as multiple sclerosis (MS), lupus (systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE), rheumatoid arthritis (RA), or other conditions: Ashwagandha might cause the immune system to become more active, and this could increase the symptoms of auto-immune diseases. If you have one of these conditions, it’s best to avoid using ashwagandha.

Surgery: Ashwagandha may slow down the central nervous system. Healthcare providers worry that anesthesia and other medications during and after surgery might increase this effect. Stop taking ashwagandha at least 2 weeks before a scheduled surgery.

I'm confused. What goes on for 5 days?
and what would starting therapy mean?

Thanks in advance!

Herbs take a bit of time to start working vs. Melatonin or essential oils.

Therapy meaning, thunder recordings to desensitize and change the negative association to possitive. However w/o using a calming agent you are subjecting the dog to stress (stress leads to illness).

Ashwagandha is indicted for the adrenals - the adrenals release stress hormones

11-24-2012 05:11 PM

msvette2u

I apologize for missing the part about trying the DAP.

I find in our case (my dog is now 10 1/2) that during the north wind, things blew around and fell, causing a ruckus, where when the wind comes from the south, things don't fall or blow around.
That is why Libby became wind-phobic, although she's easily manageable and not terrified; she is anticipating ruckus again when she hears the wind, even if it's from the south.

I think that's a "superstitious" response, but I don't remember if that's the correct term; that is, she equates any wind now, with the ruckus of things being knocked over, despite that it only happened with the north wind.

Temple Grandin speaks of this in some of her books; for instance, if a light came on at the same time a gun went off, the light coming on would then always be associated with the gun going off.

I'm sure your dog's issues did begin with the fireworks and perhaps one of those days, it was quite windy, so she now associates the wind with the scary fireworks.

It could be something along those lines, although oftentimes figuring out all the pieces is easier than fixing the problem, even when you know exactly what the cause is, as in our case.